Drive axle



March 18, 1930. vA. l. MARcrzUM I 1,750,899- DRIVE AXLE v y Filed June 7, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 March 18, 1930. A. MARCUM DRIVE AXLE Filed June 7, 1926 2 sheets-sheet l2 Guion/w11 Patented Mar. 18, 1930 l UNITI-:D STATES PATENT GFFICE ARTHUR I. MARCUMI, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO EMORY WINSHIP, F

` MACON, GEORGIA DRIVE AXLE Application led June 7,

This invention relates to drive axles for multiple wheel vehicles that include a plurality of driven shafts carrying wheels, each of which is capable of differential movement with respect to its companion on the same shaft and witlrrespect to the driven wheels on the parallel shaft. In constructions of this type it has been before proposed to employ three differentials to effect the result just stated.

' It is the primary object of this invention to provide a construction of the type just referred to which is extremely compact to the end that the floor of the body of the vehicle may be brought as low as practicable, thus lowering the center of gravity of the vehicle permitting it to be driven at comparatively high speed with little danger of upsetting.

` It is a further object ofthe invention to .20 provide a construction in which standard and interchangeable parts may be used, that is, the construction is designed with a view to minimize the use of parts of special design.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a construction in which two of the differentials are arranged in nested relation and in which all ofthe gears turn on axes that lie normally in the same horizontal plane.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a worm gear drive that is adapted for use in constructions such as above described.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, .Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the preferred form of my improved drive axle.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a moditied form ofinvention embodying a worm 0. drive. l

Figure 3 is a view on a smaller scale showing the arrangement of Figure 2 in side elevation. l v

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Numeral 4 indicates the drive shaft that is connected to the propeller shaft in any suitable manner. Shaft 4 is rotatably mounted in axle'housing 5 by means of roller bearings 1926. Serial No. 114,251.

9, that is secured to a member 10 by bolts 11.

Member 10 is provided with a cylindrical extension 12 that is journaled in housing 5 by roller bearings 13. Secured to member 10 is a differential member 14 carrying dierential gears 15 and 16 rotatably mounted on pins 17 and 18 carried by member 14. Member 14 is provided with a hollow cylindrical extension 19. Meshing with gears l5 and 16 are bevel gears 20 and 21, which are provided with sleeve like extensions 22 and 23 respectively, that are arranged within cylindrical extensions 12 and 19 of members 10 and 14.

Keyed to extension 23 is a member 24 to which is secured a ring gear 25 by bolts 26. Gear 25 meshes with bevel gear 27 carried by an intermediate shaft 28 journaled in housing 5 by roller bearings 29 and 30'. Shaft 28 transmits the power of the propeller shaft to the differential gear of the rear axle. It will thus be seen that shaft 28, and accordingly the rear differential, is driven by differential gear 21. Companion differential gear 2O 'l drives the dierential of the forwarddriven axle in a manner presently to be described. v

Projecting from gear 20 are perforated lugs 31 and 32 the perforations of which are substantially in alignment with pins 17. Pins 33 carrying bevel gears 34 and 35 are mounted `in said perforations. Gears 34 and 35 are arranged between gears 36 and 37, provided with sleeve like extensions 38 and 39 respectively, that are rotatable in extensions 22 and 23 respectively. Shaft section 40 is splined to extension 38, while shaft section 41 is splined to extension 39.

It will be observed that by the construction above described the differential gears 34, 35, 36 and 37 for the shaft sections are in nested relation to differential gears 15, 16 20 and 21 that serve to differentially transmit the power of the drive shaft to the several driven axles, and that the axes of the differential gears just named are thev axis of the one driven shaft and the axis of the drive shaft. This provides an, extremely compact and practicable arrangement embodying comparatively few parts and in which the construction is kept as low as is practicable.

InFigures 2 and 3 the` invention is shown 5' applied` to a worm gear drive. As shown in these gures, the drive' shaft "42' carries i' a worm' 43 meshing with a ring worm' wheel 44.

Worm wheel 44 carries diiferentialgears 45`` and 46 meshing-withgears 47 and 48. Gear 47 serves't 'drive the di'fer'ent'ial on the other Said shaft drives the differential on the rear driven" shaft.

Gear 48 carries differential gears 54 and 55 'that are in engagement with gears 56 and 57 'spllned' upon driven shaft sections 58 and 59- respectively. It will be observed that the nested'arran'gement ofdifferential gears in this form ofthe invention is substantially the Figui'elx The operation of the invention is obvious and the -function'of'theparts thereof. 1

' Theinvention has been above described in' considerable detail; However, itshould be j understood that' the inventiony is not conlinedtojsuch details but that the scopethereof'is to',be"detrmined from the following What'fI claim as new v 11A tandem axle drive including adrivey shaft, an intermediate shaft, vaxle sections, ai'

j differential' operatively 'associated with said axle sections, a second differential 'driven by said drive shaft, and operatively 'associated' i wlth said intermediate shaft,`and'said first named differential, said differentials being. ar-

' ranged m'nested relation.

2. A"`tandem axle'drive comprising a drive' g an intermediate shaft, a differentiall operatively connecting said vaxle sections, aY seconddiiferential interposed between said' drive shaft' and said first difl'eren- J tial, means connecting said second differential with said intermed' teshaft, the power ofthe drive'shaft thereby being'transmitted differentially to vsaid intermediate4 shaft and 'to said H rst named differential, said differ `ent1als belng arranged in nested relation with the gears 4`thereof journaled to turn on'axes coincident with the axle axis or in a plane'at rlght angles to said axis.

.mentine v.differential and a third differ? 3.- A tandem axle' drive including two differentials one arranged within the other to swin about 'a "common axis, a drive axle comprlsmg two sections, one'of said diil'erentials being operativel connected -to the sections of salddr'ive a'x e, and the other be' ing arran ed to "differentially drive said 'last rang'e'din said housing with their axes of ro-4 tation substantially coincident to the axis of the axle sections, one' of said mechanisms being driven by said drive shaft and 1n dri'v'- .ing'engagement with'the other, one of said lmechanisms being operatively connected to said; axle sections, and means operativelyl connecting said intermediate shaft with one of said mechanisms.-

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which the intermediate gears of the two differentials are yjournaled to rotateon separate axes that are locatedin a plane conta1ning the axis'of the drive shaft.

6. A tandem axle drive construction including a. housing, a worm journaled in said in said housing, differential mechanism'carried' by said ring, a second dliferentlal mechanism arranged substantially .wlthln said ring' and in operative' engagementwith lfrom the'above' descrlption lof the structure means connecting one of' said' mechanisms with the axle sections, and means connecting the 'other ofsaid mechanisms with said intermediate shaft, said sections and -said shaft thereby being differentially driven.

" A7. A Ytandem .axle drive construction 'in' vcludilig a'drive shaft, an intermediate shaft andaxle sections, al diifer'er'itialv between said axlejsection's, 'a second differential' between said first 'named diferen'tialand said inter# mediate shaft,` said second-differential surrounding said'iirst named differential. in driving" engagement therewith and rotating @about the same axis, the axes of said shafts,

'sections and differentials being in the same horizontal plane'. Y 8. A drive'for tandem axle vehicles comprising ahonsing for one ofthe axles, a drive- -unitary or differential. rotation, a second differential A.surrounding said -flrst named ,differential -and designed to rotate about the same axis, said sec'ond differential being are,

ranged to differentially drive said interme- -diate shaft 'and said first named differential, and gearing 4between'said drive shaft .and second differential.

9. A Adrive for a vehicle including two* drive axles each supported by a pair 0f a differential for the axle sections y of each differentials for rotation about an axis commont the nested differentials, and means ophousing, a worm dierential ring journaled f same as that above described 'in' more detail. xm connection with the preferred `form of wheels, an axle section secured to each wheel, 2125,

eratively connecting said third dilerential to each of said first named differentials. l

10. A drive for a multi-Wheel vehicle including a propeller shaft, an intermediate shaft, a drive axle including axle sections and a differential for said axle sections, a second differential arranged around said first named differential, means operatively connecting said second differential and said propeller shaft, and means operatively connecting said second differential to said intermediate shaft and to said first named differential.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

ARTHUR I. MARCUM. 

